Machine for winding or unwinding barbed wire



March 9 1926.

H. E. LARSON MACHINE FOR WINDINGOR UNWINDING BARBED WIRE Filed June 8 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 March 9 1926.

H. E. LARSON MACHINE FOR WINDING OR UNWINDING BARBED WIRE Filed June 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gvwe'nloz [ZELaz-son ject the provision of a mechanism for the Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES HENRY E. LARSON, or BOYD, MINNESOTA.

MACHINE FOB WINDING OR UNWIN'IDING BABBED WIRE.

Application filed June 8, 1925. Serial No. 35,723,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boyd, in the county of Lao qui Parle and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Winding or Unwinding Barbed Wire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for winding or unwinding barbed wire and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive mechanism which may be driven along the line of a fence to take up and wind a strand of barbed wire which is to be removed or to stretch wire which is to be placed. The invention also has for an obstated purpose which will accommodate itself to shocks or irregularities in the operation which may be caused by kinks or bends in the wire, and a further object of the invention is to provide simple means for guiding the wire to the reel. These stated objects, and other objects which will hereinafter incidentally appear, are attained in he apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particu larly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan y iew of the same; Fig. 3 1s a detail perspectlve View of a clutch member Fig. e is an'enlarged section taken longitudinally throughthe reel and the cooperating clutch on the line H of Fig.2.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a frameofany approved rigid construction equipped with an axle 2, upon the ends of which ground wheels 3 are mounted. A draft pole or tongue 4 is also secured to the frame and suitably braced so that it may be easily drawn over a field along the line of a fence, it being noted that the pole is 10- catedclose to the left side of the frame so that the horse at the right will not be crowded onto the wire. Upon the sides of the frame in advance of the axle are secured supplementalframes 5 which rise therefrom and are connected at their front ends by a cross bar or beam 6, another cross bar or beam 7 being secured to and extending between the said supplemental side'frames near the rear ends thereof and in the upper rear ends of j the device is caused to travel.

the said supplemental frames is j ournaled a shaft 8 having a sprocket pinion .9 secured to one end. A driving sprocket 1Q is secured to the hub of the adjacent ground wheel 3, and a sprocket chain 11 is trained around the said sprockets 10 and 9 so thatis secured a bracket 13 which extends rearwardly; and then laterally to engage behind the chain 11 so that by properly adjusting the bracket the tension of the chain may be -maintained and the parts adjusted so as to Stop collars 14 are compensate for wear. secureclupon theshaft 8 adjacent the bearings for the same so that endwise movement of the shaft will be prevented, and the shaft extends. laterally beyond one side of the main frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Keyed to the shaft adjacent the side of the frame 5 is a clutch 15 and loosely mounted upon the shaft'immediately adjacent the said clutch disk and adapted to engage the same is a clutch member 16 consisting of a'central'hub or spool 17 encircling the shaft and provided at one end with a disk or annular flange 18 having its periphery beveled, as shown at 19, whereby it is adapted to fit closely within the annular rib or flange20 upon the opposed face of the clutch member 15 and bind frictionally thereto, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 4:. At the opposite end of the sleeve 6r hub 17 is --a' flat-faced disk '21 provided upon its outer face with ribs 22 extending across the same parallel to. a diameter thereof and at opposite sides of the center. 'The reel 23 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 8 adjacent the disk 21 and consists of a central cylindrical member or drum. 24: and radial arms 25 secured to the ends of the said drum. It will be readily noted that the radial arms 25 at the respecive ends of the drum are disposed at right angles to each other and one of the said arms is adapted to fit between the ribs or bars 22 so that, if the clutch member 16 be rotated, the reel will also rotate. The reel is held. yieldably to and in engagement with the clutch member 16 by an expansion spring 26 which is coiled around the outer end portion of the shaft 8 and bears against the outer end of the reel and against an adjustable abutment or nut 27 mounted upon the outer end of the shaft. Obviously, the

tension of the spring may be regulated by turning the nut so that itwil] ride inwardly or outwardly upon the shaft.

Slidably mounted in guides'28 upon the supplemental frames 5 adjacent the "front end of the same is a transversely disposed bar 29 which extends laterally to a oint in advance of the reel and is equippe at its outer free end with an eye 30 through which the wire may pass are wound upon thereel.

A lever 31 is mounted upon the cross bar 7 and has its rear and disposed within convenient reach of the driverupon the seatv32 and its front end operatively engaged with the slidable cross bar 29 through a pin'and slot connection, as indicated at 33.

, The operation of the device will, it is thought, be readily understood. The reel 'COI'ltitlIllTlg' the wound wire or upon which wire is to be woundis slipped endwise over the shaft 8, the spring 26 and nut 27 having been removed. After the reel has been moved up to engage the clutch'member 16,

the spring 26 and nut 27 are refitted upon fence and the rotation of one ground wheel 3 will be transmitted through the described gearing to the shaft 8 and the clutch member 15 thereon and from the latter will be transmitted to the reel through the frictional engagementof the clutch member 16 with the clutch 15 and thepositive engagement of the bars 22 and 25 in an obvious manner. Should the machine strike a large stone or a kink or bend in the wire be ,met,the*frictional engagement of the clutch members 18 and 20 will permit the reel to yield momentarily so that breakage of the parts will be avoided. After the obstruction has been passed, the spring 26 will at once expand so-that the engagement of the clutch will be restored and the operation of Winding the wire be resumed. The wire guide is op: erated manuallysofas to cause the wire to run evenly to'the reel andwind thereon in regular coils without accumulating at any one point in the length of the reel. It will be noted that the reel is not locked to the shaft 8 but is loosely mounted thereon and is held yieldably to the clutch member 16. The ends ofjthe reel are duplicates-in conto and engaged between the bars 22 on the clutch disk 21, and this adaptability of the reel permits it tobe easily placed upon the shaft in position to wind wire thereon or to permit unwinding of the wire, and it will be understood that when the wire is being un-' wound, itwill he kept under tension so that it will be applied to the fence; in aproperly stretched condition. i T

Having thus described the invention, I claim: 1 I 7 i Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprisin a main frame, draft devices attached thereto, a supplemental frame secured upon the main frame and rising rearwardly therefrom a shaft mounted in the up er rear end of the supplemental frame ant extending across the main frame and laterally beyond one end of the main frame, means whereby travel ofthemain frame will effect rotation of the shaft, a clutch device mounted onand firmly held to the shaft, a reel mounted on the extending end of the-shaft and detach ably engaged atits inner end with the clutch device, means mount-ed on the shaft and acting upon the outer end of the reel to yieldably maintain engagementof the reel with the clutch device, a guide bar-mounted slidably on the supplemental frame in! front of and parallel with the shaft and extending guide a reel, and a leverpivoted between its ends upon the main frame andhavin'gia sliding pivotal connection'at its frontend with the guide bar. it r 1 In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

' HENRY LARSON. as

struction so that either end may be presented. 1

laterallyto a point in front of the reel'and constructed at its outer endtoreceive and 

